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Dave, and all, <br>
I think you are touching here on several key points, which are
addressed in different ways. But let me see it from the point of
view of a non-West chapter (though I am almost sure that chapters
from the West might share this experience). See comments below. <br>
<br>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 10/14/13 13:19, Dave Burstein wrote:<br>
</div>
<blockquote
cite="mid:CAAUuzMQow_cwts20_UQOqRi6ReD9yur9XJyR3vyx3ALM1xDzng@mail.gmail.com"
type="cite">
<div dir="ltr">
<div class="gmail_default"
style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">Vint, Bob, Dave,
Narelle</div>
<div class="gmail_default"
style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><br>
</div>
<div class="gmail_default"
style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">
I hope some of those who built ISOC will take a strong role
now holding us together while moving forward.</div>
<div class="gmail_default"
style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><br>
</div>
<div class="gmail_default"
style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">
I've cc'd this to you because there's an emerging divide
within ISOC between the staff and the chapters, brought to the
fore by the move today to from an assertive chapter group. </div>
</div>
</blockquote>
<br>
There has always been division between ISOC HQ and the chapters.
Note that it's not between the staff and the chapters. The staff are
wonderful people, each and every one of them, and many of them are
working with the chapters, when they can. The problem is, sometimes
the HQ doesn't work with the chapters, because the chapter policy
(and that goes back to the time I was on the Board (2002-2007))
sometimes is considered by the HQ as not appropriate, or in the case
when chapters have dealt with the ITU, and I quote by memory "too
internationalized". You see, the chapters are subject to different
legislation, but more importantly - to different cultures, and the
HQ sometimes forgets that. What works in Bulgaria for ISOC-Bulgaria,
may not necessarily work for chapters in other countries. ISOC HQ
knows that, but they sometimes forget it. And chapters also forget
sometimes that ISOC HQ has to behave differently. They cannot take
positions in controversial national issues, for example. Or, in some
cases, they should not even try, as this may undermine the position
and standing of the chapter, which may be viewed as a "tool of the
American imperialism". <br>
<br>
<br>
<blockquote
cite="mid:CAAUuzMQow_cwts20_UQOqRi6ReD9yur9XJyR3vyx3ALM1xDzng@mail.gmail.com"
type="cite">
<div dir="ltr">
<div class="gmail_default"
style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"> We are an ITU sector
member and have full privileges in almost all the work of ITU.
The U.S. set the precedent by bringing 104 people on the
delegation to WCIT in Dubai; we can bring our best as well. As
someone who's been involved, I know that showing up and
speaking forcefully can make a difference. There are dozens of
active ISOC members who can advance our agenda in ITU, a
crucial organization.<br>
</div>
</div>
</blockquote>
<br>
This is a good example, where we can show why ISOC HQ doesn't work
well with the chapters. <br>
ISOC, for one, could decide to share ALL documents from the ITU
password-protected web sites with ALL of its members. Some of you
know that the ITU documents are "secured" with a password, and
that's why a whole site was created, <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="http://www.wcitleaks.org">www.wcitleaks.org</a>, to allow
sharing of documents among people, who don't have the TIES accounts
from the ITU. Nothing can stop ISOC from doing this, immediately.
But they don't, and that's where ISOC HQ could do more. <br>
<br>
I will give another example, so that you understand better why there
are still glitches between ISOC and the chapters, and why ISOC
doesn't want to include chapters in their ITU-interactions: <br>
ISOC Bulgaria has tried to find ways to cooperate with ISOC on
bringing people to the main ITU events, and even more - we
cooperated with ISOC Armenia and ISOC Poland in 2011, in order to
have co-funding from ISOC HQ to bring people in Dubai, and the
answer was that the project is too ambitious, and too international,
and we should stuck to the national issues. This wasn't nice. <br>
At the end of the day, some chapters managed to bring people to
Dubai, and they played a small role in the deliberations around the
main Internet-related topic. You never heard back from the chapters,
who did that, because for them the important part was for the job to
be done. At the same time, following the end of the WCIT, ISOC
issued a statement, where they self-praised themselves for what they
did during the conference. Not mentioning the chapters. <br>
<br>
<br>
<blockquote
cite="mid:CAAUuzMQow_cwts20_UQOqRi6ReD9yur9XJyR3vyx3ALM1xDzng@mail.gmail.com"
type="cite">
<div dir="ltr">
<div class="gmail_default"
style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">
</div>
<div class="gmail_default"
style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"> Let's do that and
all work to make ISOC the open organization it needs to be to
support an open Internet. I'm lucky having personal access to
most participants but ISOC as an organization can bring far
more activists into the governance discussion.</div>
</div>
</blockquote>
<br>
Yes, it could, but it has not, so far. I am not sure they want to do
it - as HQ, I mean. Individually, I am sure that they understand (I
credit the staff here!) why having chapter representatives in their
delegations, or supporting chapter delegates to go to meetings,
would benefit the global Internet. <br>
<br>
<blockquote
cite="mid:CAAUuzMQow_cwts20_UQOqRi6ReD9yur9XJyR3vyx3ALM1xDzng@mail.gmail.com"
type="cite">
<div dir="ltr">To do our job, ISOC has to communicate across that
divide. Internally, that means staff needs to let the chapters
in the developing world come to the fore rather than trying to
direct them. <br>
</div>
</blockquote>
<br>
Dave, I cannot agree with you that it's the staff job to do that.
The staff does what the organization allows it. The staff are great
people, and they do everything they can - within the guidelines,
created in Reston! - to help the chapters. I know almost all the
staff at ISOC, and I guarantee they are good folks. <br>
<br>
<br>
<pre class="moz-signature" cols="72">--
Best,
Veni Markovski
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.isoc.bg">http://www.isoc.bg</a>
</pre>
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